HAYDEN, Idaho — The quick actions of 14-year-old Fisher DePriest using rudimentary tools helped rescue two people on August 4 on Hayden Lake.
In what sounds like a rescue from an episode of “MacGyver,” the Coeur d’Alene student sprang into action using his fishing equipment to pry open the roof and help two people trapped inside.
At a brief ceremony Thursday before a fire commissioner meeting for the district, Fire Chief Pat Riley praised DePriest’s fast thinking under pressure, bestowing the first Citizen Commendation for Heroism and Valor from Northern Lakes Fire District.
“You are an exceptional example of what citizens should be like,” Riley said, adding that the department will be hiring if DePriest is eventually interested in the career.
DePriest was fishing in his boat when he saw a vehicle crashed about 200 feet down an embankment off Hayden Lake Road about 9:45 a.m. He called 911 and then positioned his boat close to the vehicle to get a closer look at what had happened.
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